Writing in a personal capacity to share views, information and resources for teachers, trade unionists and campaigners in London - and beyond!

Thursday, 15 May 2014

Ssshh - Don't mention the General Secretary election

When I got home tonight and read my copy of the NUT's "Teacher" magazine, I was saddened to find a glaring omission. I fear that some NUT colleagues will be more than saddened, they will be dismayed.

Why? Because The Teacher is the NUT's main publication to communicate with its membership. Yet, in our May/June edition, teachers can read it from cover to cover and not find even the smallest mention of the fact that the NUT is holding its once-every-five-years election of its General Secretary.

The Teacher magazine, June 2004

Contrast our 2014 edition with the equivalent Teacher magazine from ten years ago - the last time there was a contested election. A front page, featuring all four candidates, encouraged members to vote - with further information inside.

This publicity followed on from an Annual Conference where a full hour was put aside for a General Secretary Election Hustings. In contrast, this year the GS election hardly got a mention (until Newsnight intervened!).

In 2004, I was one of those candidates. Indeed, looking at my old publicity materials, my demands at that time still seem very relevant today. Clearly, there is a lot that the Union still needs to achieve.

My demands from the 2004 GS election

A leadership election should be a vital opportunity for classroom teachers to participate in the vital debate about how we can start to achieve those gains needed to defend teachers and education.

I will endeavour to make sure that debate takes place - indeed, it is only my stand that is ensuring that we have a contested election at all. I hope that Associations around the country will do the same by publicising this vital election - even if 'The Teacher' won't.

Martin Powell-Davies

* Brought up as a socialist by parents who hungered for what is right * One adopted grandfather left me a double-barrelled name, the other his name on a 1926 General Strike black-list * Joined the Labour Party as a teenager, left it when it abandoned the values and traditions of so many who built it in the past * Given a comprehensive education at St.Andrew's, Leatherhead * First-class degree from King's College, Cambridge, for those who like that kind of thing * Secondary science teacher in London 1986-2015 * Lewisham NUT Secretary 1993-2015, organiser of many campaigns to defend teachers and education * Living in Sydenham since 1997, father of four who were all so well-supported by Sedgehill School * Member of the NUT National Executive 2010-15 * NUT London Regional Secretary 2016 - * Proud to have been name-checked by Gove for saying that his 'reforms' could make teaching unbearable * Member of the CWI, following its global struggles via http://www.socialistworld.net * Candidate for TUSC in Lewisham West & Penge, 2015 * Member of Penge CC, often a 'Middle Aged Man In Lycra' on Sundays